# outhouse ? from 1987

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outhouse-from-1987/348530>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 15, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outhouse-from-1987/348530 "2006-03-15T23:15:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pneight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@pneight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pneight)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outhouse-from-1987/348530/1 "2006-03-15T23:15:29Z")

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Hey there,  
The question was, why are there moons on outhouse doors, and you responded on gender terms, which makes sense. In my experience, outhouses with the sun on the door, were simply shacks with a hole in the ground. This is much better for us, as we let gravity do the work for us. The outhouses with the moons are shacks with a seat with a hole in it, more resembling the toilets we use in the “civilized” western world, but not so good for the bowels. That’s all I know.  
nate,  
S.C.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outhouse-from-1987/348530/2 "2006-03-16T01:56:04Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, pneight.

A link to the column is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_382.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_382.html)